He bent his head for a moment...

He bent his head for a moment, then told me that on receipt of my message, he had sent me whatever he had, but then to meet his own requirements he wrote to the third friend for help. The third friend sent him the same sealed packet. My first friend was extremely puzzled by this mystery, till I solved it." Al-Waqidi further adds: "Then we divided that amount equally amongst us at the rate of three hundred Dirhams each, and the remaining one hundred Dirhams was the share of my wife.

Caliph al-Ma'mun hearing this unique story called me, and I narrated the whole event. Al-Ma'mun awarded us two thousand Dirhams each and one thousand to my wife."[^4] This historical event describes the feeling of a few Muslims who had learnt their lessons from the Qur'an. See how the spirit of cooperation and fraternity had enlivened their lives as a result of Islamic teachings.

The early history of Islam is full of such events that clearly show the spirit of fraternity and brotherhood that governed the whole life of the Muslims. In the battle of Uhud, which was one of the most hard-fought battles of Islam, the Muslims set high examples of self-sacrifice and many of them were martyred, fighting bravely. Many of them fell in the battlefield half alive amongst them were seven stalwarts, fatally injured every breath seemed the last breath.

All of them were feeling the pangs of thirst. Someone came to them with a small quantity of water, hardly sufficient for a single soul. The water-bearer offered drink to one of them but he directed him towards the next Muslim brother lying by his side. This second soldier sent him to the third one who directed him to the fourth; and so it went on till he reached the seventh soldier.

When the seventh soldier was approached, he told him that since the first soldier was very thirsty, he should be given water first. The water-bearer then returned to the first soldier and found that he had died. Then he went to the second and third who also had expired. This happened with each of them, till approaching the last soldier he found that meanwhile he also had died. All of them died thirsty setting excellent practical example of Islamic brotherhood and self-sacrifice.

This is a lesson from the school of the Holy Prophet that was followed by his true followers in every walk of life even under the most difficult circumstances.